


Past, Present, Future

by sidewinder



Category: A-Team (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Christmas, Early Work, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Flashbacks, Holidays, Love Triangle, M/M, Vietnam, old flame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-02
Updated: 2012-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-28 18:04:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/310649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidewinder/pseuds/sidewinder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The holidays bring back memories for Face and Murdock, and rediscovered passions - but will it lead to a "happily ever after" for them both?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past, Present, Future

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a challenge response (the first paragraph was supplied, the rest of the story was up to the authors) which rather got out of hand.
> 
> The following story is written entirely for fun and not for any profit. No attempt is made to supersede or infringe upon the copyrights held by any television or film companies upon which this story is based.

Face struggled up, gasping in pleasure, and then slowly ran the tip of his tongue along the throat of his lover. Gazing into the pilot's eyes, he wondered what it was about his friend that made him so desirable. Leaning in close and gently nibbling his partner's ear, he whispered seductively, "I want you to..."

"Tell me which one is better - green or purple?"

Face jumped slightly, startled out of the daydream as he realized Murdock was standing right in front of him and waving two frightfully colorful knit caps in his face. "Huh?" he stammered, having missed the first part of the question.

Murdock sighed in exasperation and asked again, "Which color do you think B.A. will like better - green or purple? Help me out here, Faceman, I want to make sure I get the big guy somethin' for Christmas he's actually goin' to like! I asked you to come shoppin' with me today 'cause you're the one with all the fashion sense, but you keep zonin' out on me." Murdock's expression turned serious for a moment and he asked, "Are you feelin' okay? You look a little pale."

Face tried to push the steamy memories out of his mind and answered, "I'm fine. Sorry, all this shopping is tiring me out, I guess." Looking at the two caps, he asked, "Did they have any red? I think B.A. might like red better."

"Only in plaid," Murdock answered. Overhead, the cheery sounds of "Jingle Bells" echoed through the bustling department store which was filled with shoppers trying to find those holiday bargains at the last minutes.

"Plaid definitely wouldn't work for B.A. Go with the purple, then."

Murdock grinned, obviously pleased, and ran off to put back the green cap wherever he found it while Face went back to half-heartedly looking through silk ties. He never was all that big on holidays - always seemed like occasions meant to be spent with family, which was something he'd never really had, except for the Team. And this year, the Team members had basically scattered as soon as Stockwell had given his reluctant okay that they could have a week off, pre-approved travel plans even allowed. Hannibal had left for Bad Rock right away, and B.A. had taken the van on the road to Chicago to visit his mother. Even Frankie had caught a flight back to L.A. to see his father, so that left Murdock and Face with nowhere in particular to go or anyone else to celebrate with except each other. That didn't seem to bother Murdock in the least, as he busied himself buying gifts for the guys for when they returned and trying to get Face into the holiday spirit, fixing up the Langley house with the gaudiest decorations imaginable.

Murdock's enthusiasm was somewhat infectious, Face had to admit, though at the same time his mood was clouded by unexpected remembrances of another holiday many years back...another time when he and Murdock had had a week of leave together, and things had happened that they'd never talked about since then. For so long, it seemed, he'd buried the memories in the back of his mind, labeled neatly as "dangerous territory" - yet fifteen years later, he was starting to find it hard to ignore anymore. Everything had been changing so much for the Team this past year...maybe the stress was starting to get to him, making his brain do weird things to him, he decided.

Murdock came bounding back before Face could start brooding about it much more, purple cap in hand plus a pair of black leather gloves. "What do you think, do they look like they're the colonel's size? I noticed his old pair is startin' to get a little worn out."

"I say it's time for us to get out of here for a while, get some dinner. We've been shopping for five hours already, and you wanted to finish decorating the tree tonight, didn't you?"

"Yeah, guess so," Murdock acquiesced, as they went over to the cashier to pay up. "I just want to stop by Toys R'Us real quick first."

Face groaned, knowing that it would at least be another hour or two before they'd get on the road.

* * *

True enough, an hour later Face was dragging a loudly complaining Murdock out of the toy store, wondering who on Earth Murdock had bought the Twister game for. They had a long drive ahead, getting out of the shopping outlet in the 'burbs and going back to Langley, especially with all the holiday traffic. The 'vette's top was up and the heater running hard to keep the outside cold away (never had _that_ problem in LA, Face thought morosely). Murdock was starting to annoy him by constantly flipping through the radio stations, trying to find some station he liked. "Just put it on something and leave it alone!" Face snapped, so Murdock put it on a rock station and slunk down into the passenger seat, sulking for a while. But not for long.

"How come you didn't take Ellen's invitation to spend Christmas with her?" Murdock asked after a while.

Face shrugged. "Ah, I don't know. It...didn't feel right yet, you know? I guess we're family and all, sort of, but... Anyway, I told her I might come up to visit on New Year's." As he started to think about it, a thought occurred to Face. "How come you didn't go to see Kelly?"

"I thought I'd told you, we split up a while ago."

"What?" Face said in surprise. "You didn't tell me any such thing. What happened? When was this?"

Murdock tried to shrug it off. "I guess it was a little before Thanksgiving. I'd called her to make plans to see her then, but she told me she didn't think it would be a good idea. I...we'd been having some problems for a while, I guess. The usual stuff, you know - hard bein' the girlfriend to a just-released mental patient livin' 3000 miles away, riskin' his life every week on some crazy mission with a bunch of convicted felons."

Face looked over at Murdock, wondering why his friend hadn't said anything before now. But Murdock never was one to talk too much about his personal life - he usually seemed more interested in sticking his nose into everyone else's. "I'm sorry, Murdock, I should have figured, when you said you were just staying around here for Christmas...but you never said anything."

"I know. I guess...I didn't believe she meant it at first - we'd had fights before, everyone does. I figured she'd call me back and we'd make up...but she hasn't. So I guess that's that," he answered flatly.

"Maybe in time...maybe things will change..." Face suggested.

Murdock just sighed in response, "Yeah, maybe." Face could see Murdock was more than a little upset talking about it, so he didn't press the issue. They'd have a lot of time this week, if Murdock decided he needed an ear.

Moving slowly down the highway, Face's eyes followed the many billboards lit up to taunt and entice the harried commuters and shoppers on their way home. One up ahead for an airline promised the drivers sunny skies and warm weather instead of the East Coast winter, with a glorious sunset over a tropical beach to emphasize their point. Upon the sight of the image, Face found his thoughts drifting back once more as the traffic stalled for an accident up ahead. In his mind he saw another tropical sunset, from a hotel room with a view looking out over Waikiki Beach...

"I can't get over this place, Faceman! Are you ever gonna tell me how you pull off these things?" the young captain asked his friend as he joined him, sitting across from the lieutenant near the balcony of the luxurious hotel room.

"Never - if I gave away all my secrets, Colonel Smith wouldn't need me on his team anymore...and I'd probably be back in the brig where he first found me for running a scam on that general," Face replied.

"You're probably right," Murdock agreed, pouring a shot from the bottle of brandy Face had brought back to the room after their dinner down in the hotel's restaurant. The colonel had been temporarily put out of commission after he'd taken a bullet on the Team's last mission just about a week ago, and it had basically put his entire unit out of commission as well until he was back on his feet. The whole team had been overdue for some serious R and R anyhow, and so Hannibal had asked Face if he could scam up a good Christmas gift for everyone while he was recuperating. Face had not disappointed, presenting week-long leave passes and airline tickets for himself, Murdock, B.A., Ray, and even that pretty young nurse Ray had set his sights on not long back. Face had even managed to scam a suite at a hotel on Waikiki for himself and invited Murdock to come with him, and now here they were, the jungles of Vietnam forgotten about, if just for a little while.

So far the trip had been a grand success, and it was only their second night on the island. The sun and the beach were a welcome reprieve from the warzone, as were the many beautiful women they encountered on the beach during the day, and in the many bars and clubs at night. It was still early in the evening, and they'd decided to spend a few hours chilling out in the room to watch the sunset and do a little serious drinking before hitting some of the nightspots later - and hopefully finding some interesting partners for some extra "in-depth" R and R.

Face had to admit, they made an impressive pair together, a sure fire hit with the women, what with Murdock's wacky charm and his own polished looks and manners. Face couldn't help but admire how good Murdock looked in his uniform, and Face knew he looked good, too. He always was proud of his appearance and knew how it was sometimes his best weapon - but it could also be his worst enemy. With women, he often wondered if they ever cared for him for anything other than his appearance. And with men...his looks often made him an easy target for jealousy and suspicion, or occasionally unwanted advances.

Murdock was one of the few people Face felt completely comfortable around; despite his being the one to give Peck the nickname of "the Faceman", he seemed to be one of the few people to ever get past his looks and really want to get to know the person behind them. That was why Face had wanted to spend this holiday with Murdock...among other reasons.

Conversation ran the usual gamut as they sat back, pleasantly physically exhausted from swimming and full from the delicious meal (of course, after living on army food and rations for so long, just about any other food tasted like a gourmet delight in comparison) They made plans for what to do before they had to go back, talked and gossiped about mutual friends and crazy stories they'd heard, and speculated on the war and how much longer it would keep going. After a while, talk started to degrade to locker-room level, Face detailing some of his better "conquests" in recent times and back in his earlier days.

Murdock's eyes were wide in disbelief. "I'm just tryin' to picture this scene - you, and Barbara, and Serenity, and a cucumber ?! Is there anything you _haven't_ ever tried?" Murdock joked after a particularly bizarre story, and Face laughed.

"Not much," he admitted. _Was that an invitation?_ he wondered to himself, looking across at his friend. It wouldn't be the first time there'd been a little flirtation between them, though it had never gone beyond that in all the time they'd known each other. Face had never had any real interest in members of his own sex - considering the amount of time he'd had to spend since he'd joined the military fighting unappealing offers off - but there was something about Murdock that drew his interest, like the proverbial moth to the flame. From their earliest meetings, Face had found it hard sometimes to keep his eyes off the young, brash pilot whom had become such a fast, good friend - though it had taken a while for his brain to catch up with his body and realize the attraction had a sexual undercurrent to it. It had disturbed him at first, but then he'd noticed something in Murdock's demeanor that seemed to speak perhaps of a similar interest, though he was nothing if not incredibly subtle about it.

Sensing that his interest was not unwarranted and perhaps not unreciprocated had only served to increase Face's curiosity. It was one of the reasons he'd been eager to have Murdock join him on this trip...instinct had told him that perhaps if they had some time alone, in a relaxed atmosphere, they might become a little less vague with their intentions.

Face decided this was perhaps a good chance to test the waters a bit, so to speak. He felt a little daring as the brandy slightly dulled his apprehensions. "I've never been with a guy before," he admitted smoothly, as if it was no big deal. Still, his pulse quickened after speaking, and he reached down for his glass to finish off his shot.

"Really? You must have had plenty of offers by now," Murdock replied nonchalantly.

Face shrugged. "Yeah. But I wasn't interested, and made that pretty clear."

"Not interested in the idea, or just the particular invitations?" Murdock pressed.

Face smiled lightly to himself, sensing that his instincts had indeed been right, and looked to Murdock. "I guess I'd try anything once...with the right person." He held Murdock's gaze just slightly longer than "appropriate", and Murdock didn't turn away.

"If you have an open mind about things, it can be...pretty interesting," Murdock suggested.

"You're speaking from experience, I gather?"

"Some," Murdock answered. "Does that bother you? Change what you think of me?"

"Absolutely not," Face answered, pausing slightly as he decided exactly how to say what he wanted to say next. "Would it change what you think of me if I said I...might be interested...in learning a few things from you, about what it's like?"

Murdock's eyes held Face's for a long moment, as Face held his breath. Then Murdock smiled, and got up from the chair where he sat and walked over towards him. Kneeling before Face, he reached up to stoke his cheek gently with his hand. "Actually, it was just what I was hoping you'd say."

Face trembled, growing nervous now, as Murdock studied his reactions. He hadn't expected things to move so fast...but he wasn't exactly adverse to what was happening, either. Murdock's other hand moved up Face's leg, and he licked his lips as his hand moved towards his groin. "I've wondered if I ever make you hard, the way you make me hard," Murdock said softly, letting his hand slide against Face's cock, and Face gasped. "Mmm..." Murdock purred, his other hand leaving Face's cheek so that he could unbuckle Face's pants, then unzip them. Face arched back, totally in shock at his friend's boldness, the way he seemed to know exactly what he wanted - and what Face wanted as well. Face lifted his ass slightly as Murdock continued to remove his pants, then quickly his shorts. With Murdock's hand now stroking his bare cock, it rose to full arousal quickly, a fact which seemed to please Murdock greatly.

"Real nice, Faceman, real nice." Murdock leaned in and kissed tip of it, then lifted it gently, licking it slowly, up and down. "You like that?" Murdock asked, liquid brown eyes gazing up into Face's blue ones.

"Mm hmm..." Face sighed, not believing he was sitting there, pants around his ankles, Murdock between his legs. After teasing him a little longer, Murdock opened his mouth wide and wrapped his lips around Face's organ, then started sucking it, slowly, agonizingly...Face arched back in pleasure, his hands reaching for Murdock, running through his hair. He thrusted into Murdock's mouth, pushing himself inside as deep as he could go. He came fast and hard, amazed at how worked up he'd become - and at how skillful Murdock was at pleasuring him.

Obviously satisfied at having gotten such a reaction from Face, Murdock slid up onto the sofa, taking another shot of brandy before turning Face's head towards him with his hand. "Not bad, huh?"

"You don't waste any time, that's for sure," Face remarked, breathing in deep, just starting to come down slightly. He let his hand settle against Murdock's upper thigh, wondering if he could do anywhere near as good a job satisfying his obviously more experienced friend. "Like I said, I've never done anything like this before..." he said, suddenly feeling a little apprehensive.

"Don't worry...I get the feelin' you'll be a real quick learner." Murdock answered, then pulled Face to him for a kiss. Their lips touched and Face shivered with an aftershock of pleasure. Murdock's mouth was warm, so inviting, the taste an exotic blend of sharp alcohol and his own salty cum. He wanted to know how the rest of Murdock's body would taste, and his hand slid up between Murdock's legs, feeling the firmness there awaiting his attention.

"I want to see you naked," Face whispered, suddenly wanting to get rid of what remained of his own clothing.

Murdock complied easily, standing so he could undress in front of Face's appreciative, curious eyes. He'd seen most of that body before, but not completely bare...and he definitely liked what he saw. When Murdock sat back down, Face let his hands explore it most carefully, though his eyes were locked onto Murdock's, unable to tear himself away from their dark, beautiful gaze. He wrapped his hand around Murdock's cock, stroking it while Murdock pulled him close for another long, hard kiss. He felt the moisture of pre-cum trickling between his fingers, then he brought his hand to his mouth to taste it. He was feeling hot again already, just seeing how bad Murdock needed it now too. Letting his reservations fall away, he got down on the floor in front of Murdock, as Murdock had done just before for him. Tentatively, he reached for the erect cock and licked it, used his tongue to explore its textures, its inviting firmness. He finally got up the courage to take it into his mouth fully, finding it a little more difficult to handle than he'd expected, but Murdock didn't seem to have any complaints. He tried to find a rhythm, using his hand on the base of cock while his mouth worked the rest of it. From the noises Murdock was making, he sounded like he was almost ready to come, so Face picked up the pace after a while, working him faster until Murdock pulled out of his mouth just as he came, cum shooting onto the lieutenant's face and all over his hand.

"Sorry..." Murdock gasped, "didn't mean to get all over you."

"S'okay..." Face said, licking some of the liquid off his lips. With a wry smile, he asked, "Did I pass my first test, Teach?"

Murdock laughed at the new nickname, and pulled him up onto the couch. "With flying colors. Come on, how about a shower - together - to get cleaned up? Then we can get to work on your next lesson."

"Mmm, who would've thought schooling could be this much fun..."

The days passed much too quickly after that night, and before they knew it, they were packing and getting ready for the flight back to the front lines.

"Good-bye, clear skies," Face sighed, coming in from the balcony with a few pieces of beach clothes he'd left outside to dry. He put them in his small bag and closed it, then sat down on the bed where Murdock lay, watching him.

"We have to decide what to do about this, when we get back," Murdock stated.

"I know," Face agreed. They'd avoided this conversation all week but he'd known it would have to come sooner or later.

Murdock sat up, putting an arm around Face. "I'm glad we've had this time together, Face, it's been...what I think we both needed. You and me, we make a good team, y'know?" Murdock smiled, squeezing Face's hand, a look of fondness in his eyes. "But now we've got to go back and face the same old shit as before, and I don't think...if we're gonna keep workin' together, without...distractions..."

"We should leave this here, that's what I was figured, too. It wouldn't be right, or fair to the others. We need to have our full attention on keeping each other - everyone in the unit - alive."

Murdock nodded, and added, "At least for now, I think it's for the best. Maybe a time will come, after all this is over...if we still want to be with each other...well, I'm not gonna hold you to anything, but I think...who knows." He trailed off, Face understanding what he was trying to say.

"Yeah, who knows," Face agreed. "Hey, so, what're we doing wasting our time talking away tonight? Come on and kiss me."

"Come on, Face! We're gonna be roadkill if ya don't get movin'."

Face blinked, suddenly aware of the angry line of motorists behind him, horns honking now that the traffic had started to move but Face hadn't. Face gunned the gas, wishing he would stop daydreaming like this.

Murdock asked after a few minutes of silence, "Are you sure you're okay, Face? You seem real out of it. I think you really might be comin' down with somethin', this colder weather and all."

"Maybe," Face answered, finding it much easier to let it go than to admit to what was really bothering him.

Murdock didn't question him about it any further, and the rest of the drive proceeded mostly in silence. They made a quick stop for some groceries and a pizza once they got off the highway and were back in Langley. Going up the drive to the house, Face was surprised to see the Murdock had apparently been rather more busy than he'd realized earlier in the day, setting up some exterior decorations around the grounds. "Murdock, where the hell did Santa and the reindeer come from - and how did you get them on the roof?!"

The pilot just grinned. "You've got your tricks of the trade, I've got mine. You think it'll piss Stockwell off? I thought this place needed a little more holiday cheer."

"How did you get that stuff past the guards? Why haven't they taken them down?"

"Even Stockwell's little helpers can get into the Christmas spirit, O Facial One...besides, most of them are all off taggin' the other guys. They just left the rookies on us."

While Face put away the supplies, Murdock decided it was time to break out some egg nog to go with the pizza. Face thought it was a good idea - he needed something to help relax a bit. They crashed out for a while after eating, just watching some old holiday cartoons on TV and doing a good job finishing off the egg nog.

It seemed that Murdock was not going to let Face's earlier odd behavior go, however. "Face, you're probably gonna kill me for askin' again, but you've got me worried. You sure there's nothin' botherin' you. You've just been kinda...I don't know, distant, the past few days, since the other guys left. ...Are you mad at me?"

"Huh? No, of course not. Sorry if it seemed that way."

"So then spill the beans, muchacho, what's wrong?"

Face looked over at Murdock, his friend's obvious concern touching him, making him want to talk about it. Why couldn't he just say it? What could it hurt? Maybe it was just the egg nog loosening his tongue a bit, but he finally admitted, "Ah...it's nothing really, just funny, you know. I've...been thinking about something, out of nowhere, the past few days...something from a long time back. I don't know why...I haven't thought about it in years..."

Murdock asked him, "What is it?"

"Just...another Christmas. Back during 'Nam - that leave I scammed for us in '70...?"

Face let the thought trail off, and after a short moment he could see the understanding dawning on Murdock's face. "Oh, yeah. Man..." Murdock leaned back against the sofa. "You know, sometimes I've wondered if that ever really happened...considering we've never really talked about it since then."

"I guess with everything that happened after that...the prison camp, the bank job, coming home to being on the run...guess I put it down to one of those crazy things that happened during the war."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. So, you haven't really thought about it much since then?"

"No...I mean...I hadn't for a long time...not until recently. You?"

Murdock shrugged and only answered vaguely, "Not really."

Things turned to a somewhat awkward silence for a few minutes.. _Damn, if this isn't uncomfortable_ , Face thought to himself, wishing now that he hadn't said anything. It would have been better - they were right - to have left that time alone.

Murdock finally managed to change the subject, announcing, "Hey, there's still the tree to do. You gonna help?"

"Yeah, sure," Face answered, glad for the diversion and to get out of the den that had suddenly felt too small, too intimate.

The tree was a bit of a monstrosity, reaching nearly to the ceiling of the living room. They started the lights from the bottom up, but even Murdock couldn't quite reach to the top to hook up the star, needing to stand on a chair to try to get to it. He stretched out precariously for the top of the tree, and Face commented, "Why'd you have to pick such a huge tree anyway?"

"Well, it was sittin' there all lonesome at the lot, no one else wanted it 'cause it was so big -ack!" he cried as almost lost his balance on the chair. Face stepped up behind him, holding his waist for support as he secured the star. "There! All set!" Murdock announced, and he jumped down from the chair, looking up at the tree in satisfaction. Face realized he was still holding on to Murdock, and he didn't quite want to let go, either.

"Looks good, don't it?" Murdock asked, turning around to Face. His hands slipped away from Murdock's waist, but they were still standing too close...his eyes were locked on his friend, not the tree behind them.

"Yeah, looks real good," he answered, his voice sounding a little hoarse in his own ears.

Murdock placed his hands gently on Face's shoulders. "Face, what happened between us, back then...it's not somethin' we should be so embarrassed about. There wasn't anything wrong with it. We just...somehow everything else that happened after that, I guess we never had that chance we promised each other to give things another try. Maybe...maybe you've been thinking about it, because deep down you want..."

"...what?" Face prompted when Murdock didn't immediately continue.

Murdock just stared deep into Face's blue eyes. He didn't say anything more, he only reached up and placed a hand gently on Face's cheek. Face couldn't believe this was happening, but somehow it felt...all right. It seemed like all those years just slipped away, as remembered another time - the first time - Murdock had touched him that way, with that same tenderness. Murdock began to caress the cheek of his one-time lover, and Face didn't resist when, leaning in, Murdock ever-so-gently brushed his lips against Face's mouth. The touch was enough to make Face forget any reservations, and he found himself quickly being pulled into a lustful embrace that left them both gasping for air when it was over.

Murdock looked into Face's eyes again, waiting for his reaction. "What are we doing?" Face wondered aloud, but he did not remove his hand from where it rested, low against Murdock's back. "This changes everything..."

"I know," Murdock agreed, leaning in for another kiss. His mouth left a trail of kisses along Face's neck as he continued, "But maybe it's time for a change. Don't you want this?"

"I do..." Face admitted, shivering as Murdock's lips teased his sensitive skin.

"Then stop worrying," Murdock insisted, grabbing Face's hand and pulling him over to the sofa. As soon as he sat down, Murdock was on him, pushing him down, pressing his body up against Face's as they kissed again. "Mmm," Murdock whispered, "man, you still taste so good..."

Face's hands ran along the lean body draped over his own, stopping on the gentle, luscious curves of Murdock's ass. "You still _feel_ so good. I can't believe we're doing this."

"We can always claim temporary insanity later, now hush," Murdock replied, his fingers quickly going to the buttons on Face's shirt. He worked fast, his hot breath coming rapidly and driving Face crazy as it fell on his increasingly bare skin. His hands ran through Murdock's hair and he sighed as the pilot kissed his chest, flicked his tongue over Face's. He couldn't believe this was happening - his mind was spinning from the sensations, from the alcohol, and from the overwhelming sense of deja vu. So long, he'd denied this memory...this pleasure...already now he wondered how on Earth he'd lasted so long without it. His cock ached as Murdock kept pressing up against him, and he halted Murdock long enough to yank the pilot's t-shirt up over his head, so he could touch Murdock's body, remember the sensation of letting his fingers run through that wonderful, thick mat of hair on Murdock's chest, enjoying Murdock's obvious pleasure. He could barely stand it, he needed Murdock so badly. His hands explored lower, rubbing against Murdock's crotch, causing Murdock to shudder and moan appreciatively. Before the pilot could recover Face pulled him over and began to roll them both off the couch onto the floor. Face straddled Murdock, who teased him, "Getting rough already, is that the way you want it, Faceman?"

"You always did make me lose control." Face leaned in to kiss Murdock again, his tongue exploring the warm, inviting depths of Murdock's eager mouth. His hands reached for Murdock's belt, but the captain made life easier for him and opened the belt himself, then unzipped his pants. Face grabbed the waist of the pants and pulled them down quickly, possessed with the need to get Murdock naked as fast as possible. The front of Murdock's shorts were already damp, and the delicious bulge hidden by the fabric practically begging for his attention. Face wanted to taste it, stroke it, let it fuck him...his hand ran against the shorts and he grinned as Murdock sighed. He paused just long enough get himself to a similar state of undress, and then settled back on top of Murdock again, letting the pilot wrap his strong, long legs around his body. Murdock's hands ended up sliding under Face's shorts, edging Face on to lose them quickly.

Face did just that and Murdock finished undressing as well, and then he turned himself around so that he was right over Murdock's cock, and his own erection was dangling over Murdock's mouth. He felt himself being pulled into an incredibly warm, inviting place, and he lowered his mouth around Murdock, sucking him in as deep as he could. Their movements, their moans echoing each other, Face let all other thoughts slip away, all other concerns disappearing. Before he knew it, his body convulsed with a blinding wave of pleasure, and he just barely noticed Murdock reaching his own orgasm, his seed spilling out into and out of Face's mouth.

Face collapsed down onto the rug next to Murdock, his head spinning, his breath coming in hard gasps. Murdock turned around and wrapped an arm around Face, sighing, "Jeez louise, if I'd had known that a little nostalgia and alcohol could get you this wound up..."

Face laughed, agreeing with Murdock's sentiments. "Is this nuts, Murdock? We still have to work together - that was why we ended things before."

"I know...it's probably a bad idea..." Murdock lifted his head to look at Face seriously. "You want to forget this happened - let things go back to normal? The way you made that eggnog we may not even remember any of this by tomorrow, anyway."

Face considered things for a long moment...Murdock's eyes showed no judgment, just concern and understanding. _Jesus, we're so close already,_ Face thought to himself, _can either of us keep denying what we feel for each other any longer?_ "It would probably be the rational thing to do...but somehow you make me want to not be very rational. I just want to be with you."

Murdock smiled, then settled his head back down against Face's chest. Then he started to laugh. "What?" Face asked.

"Just thinkin'...you know Stockwell has spy cams all over this joint. I'm wonderin' if he isn't sittin' up there in his big fancy jet right now, gettin' the surprise of his life watching this little scene."

"Hmph." Face didn't quite find that as amusing an idea as Murdock did, but he supposed if it was true there wasn't much they could do about it now. "Well, if that's the case, how 'bout you 'n me get dressed, finish this tree off, and head over to your place - where we know we can be alone?"

"As the colonel might say, it sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

Christmas came and went peacefully, with a few small gifts exchanged, many more wrapped up for the rest of the team's return, and much "private celebrating" between Murdock and Face. Spending most of their time at Murdock's place, they found lots of ways to entertain themselves over the following days, barely able to take the time to go outside to eat or for anything else. Neither had spoke of any regrets "the morning after" Christmas Eve, for it had been so easy to fall back together, and it was feeling too good to worry about the repercussions that might come later. Maybe the end of the week would come, and as before they'd have to have another "what're we gonna do now?" talk - but this time, Face didn't think he could let himself be talked out of continuing this relationship like he had before.

Face felt the captain's body press up to him, as he stood in the kitchen cleaning up the dinner dishes. Murdock circled his arms around Face and snuggled into his neck, breathing in deeply. When he exhaled, the feeling of his breath against Face's skin made him shiver. "Murdock, I can't finish cleaning up if you keep doing that. Talk about distracting...!"

"Come on Face, you promised," Murdock pleaded, kissing Face's neck lightly, refusing to leave him alone. "Time for some after-dinner fun and games. I cleared away some floor space and got the game out and everything."

Face turned around and playfully pushed Murdock away from him, laughing at the devilish look in Murdock's eyes. "Murdock, we did that last night, and I think I sprained something in my back."

Lustily Murdock pinned the lieutenant against the cabinet again and growled, "Yeah, but playing Twister with you gives the game a whole new meaning. I'll take care of that back for you later - and anything else that needs Dr. Murdock's attentions." Before Face could raise another protest, Murdock's mouth covered his own, and with their bodies so close Face found his resolve to do anything but make love to Murdock right there and then fading away.

The dishes, the game, and his stiff back momentarily forgotten, Face found himself just a few minutes later already half undressed and in Murdock's embrace in bed. And then the phone started to ring.

Face groaned, "Ignore it. Can't be more important than this."

"But..." Murdock was silenced by a strong kiss from Face, who rolled on top of Murdock, pinning the struggling pilot beneath him.

The phone kept ringing, and with an agile twist Murdock squeezed out from under Face and reached for it. "Hello?" Murdock answered it. Face tossed a pillow at him. There was a long pause, and Face immediately grew concerned when Murdock finally spoke again. "What is there left to talk about?" he said in a controlled voice. Murdock was turned away from Face, so he couldn't read the captain's expression. Another long pause followed, then finally, "I'm still here. I'm just...this is a bad time, okay?...I don't know...all right...listen, I'll call you back later and we can talk about this...Yeah."

He hung up the phone, but didn't turn back around. Face sat up, knowing - and dreading - what he guessed he had just heard. "That was Kelly, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"...And?"

Murdock just shook his head and let out a long sigh. "She's feelin' bad about what happened before, says the holidays were makin' her think about us again. She wanted to apologize and...to know if there was any chance we could get back together."

Face felt the dread settle on him, tying a tight knot in his stomach. "Is there?"

Murdock finally turned back to Face, his expression betraying his mixed emotions. "I...I don't know. I didn't expect this at all."

"Neither did I," Face agreed.

"Face...I just...oh hell," Murdock dropped his head in his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have done this. I shouldn't have let myself jump into this with you so soon after...even though I never expected..."

"You're right, you shouldn't have," Face agreed, resentment and anger building. "What was I for you, Murdock, just a quick fix until she decided to call you running back to her?"

"No, of course not!"

"Well, it sure feels that way. I let myself think that here we are, finally realizing after all this time that we're right for each other, and you were still just pining after her!"

"Face, you _know_ that's not it! I love you. The past few days have been so amazing...but I can't deny that part of me - a big part of me - still has feelings for her. I...I at least owe it to her to hear out what she has to say. I just...I need some time to think about this."

"Take all the time in the world, Murdock." Face got up from the bed. "Because right now, I'm feeling pretty used, and I need some to think, too." With that, Face stormed out of the bedroom before Murdock could stop him. He grabbed his shirt and jacket and was out the door, slamming it behind him.

* * *

Face barely slept that night, staring up at the ceiling in his room - a room that was feeling increasingly like a prison cell. _Damn it,_ he kept thinking, _we've fucked things up, fucked them up so bad...how are we ever going to be able to face each other, face the rest of the Team? This was so stupid...so damn stupid..._

When he couldn't sleep any longer, he just wandered around the house, wanting something, someone to take out his anger on. He stood before the Christmas tree, the ornaments shimmering faintly even in the darkness, and he wanted to knock it over, break every ball, watch them shatter...but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He just stormed out of the room and down to the gym, pounding on the equipment B.A. used to practice boxing, beating his fists into it, yelling at it...all his anger over not just this but everything else that had happened to them in the past few months - the trial, Stockwell, finding and losing his father...all of it was coming to a head, and he needed a release.

He finally collapsed, exhausted, his eyes red from tears held back for too long and his knuckles bruised and aching. With great effort he pulled himself back to his feet after a while, and went back to his room, where he stayed, still staring up at the ceiling, as night faded away and dawn approached.

Sometime that morning he must have fallen asleep, because he was startled awake by the ringing of the phone .

Disoriented, he reached for it and answered, "Hello?"

There was a brief pause. "Face? It's me. ...Can I come by and see you? I need to talk to you."

Despite the anger and hurt he still felt, part of him still couldn't say no to Murdock. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Thanks. Thanks, Face, I'll be right over."

Face lay on the bed - he hadn't even undressed from when he'd gotten home last night - and wondered what was going to happen now. Was Murdock coming over to tell him it was all finished, that he was running back to be with Kelly again? Was he going to try to apologize and make up for even doubting that Face was the one he wanted to be with?

Despite everything, he desperately wanted to feel Murdock's strong arms around him, to tell him that things would be okay. But would they - how _could_ they - after everything that happened and the terrible things that he had said to the pilot just the night before. Fighting back the tears that suddenly threatened to come, Face began to think back to last night - before "she" had called. The tender moments of passion and the soft whispers of devotion they had shared, and then came the phone call. That damn phone call from her!

Thoughts of her turned Face's meditations to anger. Jealously, he wondered if she satisfied Murdock's needs as well as he did. Was she what the captain really wanted, or was she just a impetuous fling for him. No, no...he knew that wasn't right. Murdock and Kelly had been together for over two years, and his love for her had been obvious to all of them. But he couldn't help but feel a resentment of her intrusion into their time together now, couldn't help but think that he could be a companion to and understand Murdock so much better than this young, inexperienced girl.

Face's reflections were interrupted some time later as the bedroom door opened and Murdock slipped in. He looked at the distraught lieutenant for a long moment, though his expression was unreadable. Sitting down next to Face he said, "I'm glad you let me see you, Face, after last night...I wasn't sure...I didn't handle that whole business too well and I'm sorry."

Face's residual anger dissipated quickly. "It's okay, Murdock, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have blown off the handle at you. It just...I was hurt."

"I know, I know." He reached over to take Face's hand, then looked seriously at the lieutenant. Murdock's brown eyes looked tired and red, and Face had to fight down the impulse to pull him close, to offer the comfort he seemed so badly to need. "I never, _never_ wanted to hurt you. Believe me, that's the last thing I'd ever want to do to you. ...I called her back last night, after you left. We talked, yelled, cried...really let loose, all the things we hadn't said to each other when she broke up with me before. It... needed to be done. I found out a lot of stuff about what had been botherin' her for so long that she didn't think she could talk about before. Sometimes in a relationship, I guess you let the little things grow and fester, until they start to eat away at the heart of what used to be so right between two people. That's what had been happening to us.

"She still wants to see if we can work things out. I'm not sure if the damage to what we used to have is too great for that to work - whether we'll just end up repeating the same mistakes, caught up in some endless circle of misunderstandings. And then, of course, there's you. I never thought we'd have the chance to try things again...but when I saw that you were thinkin' about it, too, I couldn't help myself...and we felt so right together...but I can't be sure now if I'm feelin' that way because I'm just on the rebound, or if its really real, you know? And I know that that's the one thing I owe you - knowing that my feelings for you are not just because you're 'second best' in my book. But because you're really the one I need.

"I thought about it all day. And I've made my decision..." He paused for an agonizing moment, and Face clenched his hand tighter, not sure that he wanted to hear the answer. "I've decided I have to break things off with both you, and Kelly, for a while. I'm sorry, Face, I just...I need the time to get grounded again. I'm still gettin' used to flyin' solo from the V.A. I don't...I don't think it's fair to either of you right now, until I've had time to work things out a little better. You understand what I'm tryin' to say?"

"Yeah, I understand," Face said quietly. It wasn't exactly what he'd hoped to hear, but he knew Murdock was right, as much as it hurt. He wrapped his arm around Murdock, and continued, "I want...whatever's best for you. I'm not gonna say that it wouldn't hurt me if you decided that that meant Kelly and not me. But all I really want is for you to be happy. Because I love you."

"And I do love you too, Face, no matter what." Looking at each other, they finally grabbed each other in a strong hug, laughing away the tension. "Thanks, for bein' such a good friend, always."

"Yeah, you too. Mmm...uh, Murdock?"

"Mm hmm?"

"I know you said you want some time, and I'll give you that...and B.A. and Hannibal are supposed to be back in a day or two anyway...but do you think, maybe...today, before we have to think about anyone and everything else...?"

"Whatever you want, Face," Murdock answered with a smile. And Face had a feeling that somehow, down the road, maybe everything would work out all right after all.

END


End file.
